Living Ealdremen
Living Ealdremen is the name of a theory that regards Ealdremen as a unique sort of being and not merely a place. The main evidence for this esoteric theory lies in the language of Leraphian and how it differs dramatically from modern languages in functioning as a language of magic. Where other languages may still work if the caster varies from established casting conventions, Leraphian demands both strict focused intent and adherence to complicated grammar structures. As languages of magic perceive intent in order to work, Leraphian, too, must operate from intent -- but the power drawn upon is from Ealdremen itself, not the caster's own innate Chrono. According to the Living Ealdremen Theory, Ealdremen is the source of all Chrono and is a being unto itself. Proponents of this theory would hesitate to call Ealdremen a god, as proven to exist gods throughout Ealdremen have physical bodies and aren't something quite so vague and figurative. However, even among themselves, Living Ealdremen Theory's champions are roughly divided into two camps -- that Ealdremen reacts to the will of its inhabitants, or that the inhabitants of this galaxy react to the will of Ealdremen. History "The world as a living being" is hardly a unique belief among different cultures and mythologies. In particular, areas with large populations of druids or others focused on nature magic tend to believe to some degree that the world itself has a will. For example, inhabitants of the Shadeglyn tend to believe that the forest itself has a desire to protect itself and that it acts on that desire through particular champions such as the goddess Adanore. However, the same beliefs have rarely been extended to all of Ealdremen, perhaps because even after centuries of space travel, it's difficult to view the vastness of space as anything but emptiness occasionally interrupted by stars and planets. It was during the Millennial Calm that attention turned from the micro to the macro -- and in the grand scheme of things, a planet is of little importance when trying to discern the nature of the galaxy as a whole. Scholars became deeply invested in the existence of other systems within Ealdremen. Mimorneo and Sacangun pervaded their minds, taunting them with chances of discovering that there was indeed more out there. Institutions such as the Academy of Ealdremen Extraplanar Research pushed for breakthroughs in the nature of Ealdremen, all disciplines of science and magic trying to uncover "the last great secret" of their home -- for during the Millennial Calm, there was a sentiment that all within the Ealdremen System itself had already been discovered and documented, and so, they had to turn their attention elsewhere to find something new. They believed that if they could find the center of the universe, as it were, all of Ealdremen's mysteries would reveal themselves. Thus, when a Zoarai summoner called Shonei, Son of Renai, summoned a fiend in hopes of finding answers, he was not quite as scrutinized as he might have normally been. The fiend gave no name and no clues to his identity save for the cryptic statement that they already knew who he was. However, Shonei evidently knew the true name of the fiend, and he requested an answer to the hidden nature of Ealdremen. To the surprise of other researchers present, the nameless fiend complied, and he spoke thus: : "The stars, pores upon the skin, bleeding in anguish. The worlds, cavities in bones, prone to sickness and injury. Speakest thou the truth -- what art thou but a pestilence upon the body thou callest home? It is for this reason I wish for darkness, so that Ealdremen might rest once more in peace." While most researchers were content to dismiss the fiend's statements as misdirection or even outright lies, a scholar from Dei-Fed whose focus was on the language of Leraphian and its unique properties thought there had to be more to it than that. The scholar, a detlimse named Blueblight the Hiker of Stars, worked together with Shonei to unravel the meaning of what the fiend had said. Their decades of effort were cut short by the Godbomb, but eventually rediscovered over a hundred years later and dubbed the Living Ealdremen Theory. Category:Ealdremen Disciplines Category:No Spoilers